What is the difference between Tar Water and War Water~~~~

Dear Ms. Q,

"I've read some where about Tar water and about War Water are they the same?"   "I need something stronger than Peace water to keep bad stuff out of my home.  What can I do?"

“I hear folks talking about War Water and Tar Water are they the same or are they two different kinds of water?”

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TAR WATER AND WAR WATER

These two waters are constantly being mixed-up and sometimes mixed together,  in part because of Zora Neal’s Houston’s book  “Hoodoo in America,”  where she describes War Water as “Oil of Tar in water (filtered)” Oil of Tar is a thick distillate of creosote or burned pine resin (sometimes called Pine Tar) and it is carcinogenic and dangerous.  But it would be rare for her to mix the two up and some folk’s think it was an editorial mistake and not the authors and that she was referring to Tar Water.

But in her book “Of Mules and Men” she appears to use the words Tar and War water interchangeably, but some people still insist that the mix up was caused by the editors thinking Tar really meant War,  (much like the French word of fur  (vair) sounding liked the French word for glass (verre)  if Charles Perrault heard the story being told orally, which might explain how Cinderella got a glass slipper instead of a fur slipper).

Either way both Waters are used for cleansings and protection but each deals with a different psychic or metaphysical aspect---

Tar Water:  This is used this for space and personal cleansings, removal of negative thought- forms including haunts, golems, and psychic manifestations created by the power of the mind out of fear and extreme mental suggestion (this is in part described in Dion Fortune’s classic book “Psychic Defence”.)  

 Some people believe that if you think a house is haunted then ghosts will manifest but this is by suggestion and by the power of the -mind, the concept of thought forms have been discussed in Alexandra David-Neel’s book “Magic and Mystery in Tibet” and in the book “Conjuring up Philip” by Iris M. Owen and Margaret Sparrow.     Thought forms can also be created by powerful conjure if the person’s mind is strong enough.  Also any negative thoughts left over by extremely hostile people. Some people believe that thought forms were the real alleged "witches familiar".

War Water: This is used this to gain protection, this is an extremely aggressive forceful spiritual cleanser, to reverse a  curse and send it back to where it came from, as well as to place a curse, war water is a traditional and allegedly potent weapon during psychic warfare and witch/hoo-doo wars.  War Water needs to be kept refrigerated and carefully labeled.

Both of them are Poisonous and should be labeled as such, obviously do not consume and keep both away from pets and children.

But it appears that War Water maybe from more of a European origin and not from Hoodoo or folk magic.  Eventually through a mix-up or a mis-understand the two became as one although they are really separate. 

War Water (sometimes called Water of Mars or Mars Water) was originally created to treat Iron anemia although in modern times much better treatment is available.   So it would be obvious to ancient man if it keep sickness away it had to be a powerful magic.

The same was thought of with Tar Water which we have to give the Vikings credit for, the Vikings used pine tar to waterproof their ships, and also using tar water for medicinal and spiritual purposes.  Historically it was used to treat scurvy, skin ulcers, inflammatory distempers and nervous disorders, the Vikings have also used it for warding off spirits from their homes by placing a drop of tar water on the stoop of all doors leading to the outside, on all windowsills, and on the stoop of the chimney's fireplace door. This actually works best if no spirits have latched onto you, or else they'll stay confined inside the house.  Eventually the idea of cleansing oneself from any spirit attachment grew out of this idea.

In modern times, tar water has been used in witch craft and hoodoo for warding (as the Vikings have,) as well as for cleansing especially in the case of those targeted by curses and crossing spells or are haunted. In Santeria (especially the Santa Muerte cults) and in Hoodoo (and possibly Voodoo), tar water is used for the same applications as well as a substance to  aid in curses and cross work (in the same manner as goofer dust, hot foot powder or bend over powder).

Tar Water traditionally is made from bog water or swamp water that naturally contains creosote from decaying pine trees  and spanish moss.  It is traditional in Southern conjure, and often contains nails and other things as well, depending upon the practioner.   

Because in Zora Neale Hurston’s books the words "Tar Water" and "War Water"  are used interchangeably in "Mules and Men", and it’s believe over time the two recipes became intermingled.  However, War Water is Not traditional hoodoo, while Tar Water is. 

War Water, as I understand it, traditionally should be red not black, due to its connection with the Roman god Mars and iron and since it is more from a European tradition.

It’s possible that the use of Spanish moss is a crossover from Tar Water into War Water in the belief that it increased its cursing potency but that’s speculation on my part because of what Mrs. Washington who was from New Orleans, and Mrs. Rose who was from South Carolina told me about the mixing of Tar water.

They both told me that where there was some sort of ulcers or open sores that had difficulty in healing on the skin a mild form of Tar Water would be used and seemed to be effacious in healing them.  

Interestingly, in 1878 a brand of soap came out called “Grandpa’s Pine Tar Soap” and I remember Granny having Grandpa bathe with this soap when he had a rash that would not heal and it cleared up.  Mrs. Washington would take this soap and shave some of it into a ritual bath whenever she felt some, as she called it, “Haints glued to me”, aka psychic sludge.   So obviously this became a much safer way of doing this kind of bath. This soup is still being made today and can be found on the internet.

Now a day’s tar water is strictly used for cleansing, especially to get rid of any “ghosts or haints”, as its powers for warding and crossing is not completely known.

How is Tar Water used?   Practitioners tend to use tar water as a wash, mopping the 4 corners of their homes with it, washing down their doors/stoops/patios and even mixing it with holy water to dress the 4 corners of their front and back yards.  Although some will use it as a personal wash to remove any psychic sludge from one’s life but use only a tiny bit like a capful in your bath water.

To make Tar Water:

There are several ways to make Tar Water---

The standard traditional way is to soak burnt pine tar (from a pine tree) in water for several days in a bucket of tap water or in the old days well water, then slowly filter off the water into a master bottle leaving the tar in the bucket (you might as well forget using that bucket for anything else), they also use to use Road Tar as that kind of tar was used to make roads.

Now a days and I have to confess I did it recently (I’m a bad, bad girl), there was some work done nearby on a street, which this tar was put down on a road as a “slurry”  to preserve the road,  when they took their lunch break I picked up a few pieces of rocks that had the slurry on it and put it into a plastic zip lock food bag, ya never known when it will come in handy. (By the way it pays to carry small envelopes and plastic zip lock bags and a felt tip pen to label them because you never know what you'll find that comes in handy)

Now to make it beyond just pine or road tar and water, traditionally the water should come from a swamp or bog, which is why Mrs. Washington and Mrs. Rose would get jugs of water from some relatives who would visit and these jugs had water from the Mississippi River in it.   But since real bog/swamp water would have things rotting in it, the addition of Spanish Moss helped

So you’d be looking at a Traditional Formula as being made with:

 Pine or Road Tar

Swamp or bog water

And Spanish Moss

For further protection they would add Holy Water.

Now to ramp it up some practitioners would add coffin nails and a pinch of sulfur

Some folks would use a product called Creolina which is used by commercial dry cleaners and it is a coal tar deodorant cleaner. Now you have to be very careful with this stuff as it will burn your skin and it smells awful.   But people have used it for cleansing and protecting their home and property and claim it works.  

Other folks would use Turpentine instead as it is more readily available, but again it’s caustic and poisonous.   

A slightly more modern formula would be:
Turpentine
Spanish Moss
Holy Water
and if you have one in your area bog or swamp water, if not then water from a cemetery (where they have those lawn pipes so you can draw water for the jars to hold cut flowers) or stagnate water and considering how much chemicals a water treatment plant puts into our drinking water that is stagnate or dead water.  You can also add sulfur and coffin nails for extra added strength.

On the amounts I'm not sure because I've seen both Granny and some of the ladies vary it depending upon the size of the jar, and be sure to seal the jar because it will get pretty smelly.   But you would only need to pour off from your Master Bottle, a tiny amount to put into your mop water, or just a capful  (the size of a small soda bottle cap) into your ritual bath water.  Be sure to filter it as you pour, what is trapped in the filter can be put back into the Master Bottle and you can add more water to it.

Then Mrs. Washington and my Granny came across Pine Tar soap, much safer to use especially in personal cleansings to get “haints off of you”.

So if you’re going to use this as a personal cleansing, put only a small capful into your bath water and wash,   Set up candles as you would in Uncrossing spells on either end of the tub.   After you bathe, air dry and let the water drain down, the “haints” will go with it out to the sea as they say.

But if you are fearful of having any carcinogenic liquid on you then the use of Grandpa’s Pine Tar Soap is a safe substitute.   For that shave off a little bit of the Pine Tar Soap into hot tap water (water from your faucet)  so it will dissolve, and add some church blessed Holy water to it then put a small amount into your ritual bath water and keep the rest in a master bottle, refrigerate to prevent mold.   If mold forms toss out and make fresh.

In clearing out the psychic sludge out of your home and off your property, then make a solution with turpentine, swamp/bog/cemetery water or tap water, Spanish moss, some old rusty nails or coffin nails, and a pinch of either gunpowder or Sulfur (Sulfur is much easier to get from a metaphysical store), let this stuff “marinate” for 2 weeks, shake it up if necessary, this give the moss a chance to rot, trust me this stuff will smell gross, then add church blessed Holy water.

This will be your “Master Bottle”  from that filter out a little as you pour it (put what you filter out back into the Master Bottle) and only pour just a small amount into a clean bucket of mop water, you can use pine-sol (regular) in the mop water as well. 

Be sure to mop all four corners of your kitchen, bath, because psychic sludge loves to hide in dark corners, take a clean cloth and wash down your window sills, and door frames top to bottom,  if you have wall to wall carpeting then using an eye dropper or a pipette put a drop in each corner of the room, and one drop in the center of the room, if you have a hall entrance put it there too, any place that is not wall to wall carpeted wash down the four corners as well,  including any entrances to the attic, even sprinkle some in the attic if possible.  Don’t forget the four corners of your closets.   

If you have a garage and it has windows, do the four corners, the windows and the garage door.

Mop down your porch(front and back), the steps to your porch (front and back) then walk down to the edge of your walk way and then pour the remaining water in a straight line across the walk way so that way anyone with evil thoughts will have to cross over it and it will negate their thoughts and destroy any “tricks” they should try to put on you as well as keep negative thought forms and ghosts away from you.  

Make a 2^nd bucket of water with a little of the Tar water and pour into the four corners of your front yard and if you have one the back yard too, if you have a patio made with either wood or cement or bricks, wash that down using a broom, dip the broom into the bucket and scrub the deck or patio.   Any left over water again pour into the four corners of your yards.

As Mrs. Washington would say “Dat ‘ill take care of dem haints” and trust me she was an educated woman but every now and then she’d slip into her parents and grandparents vernacular, it was her way of staying bonded to them in spirit.

WAR WATER

Well I talked so much about Tar Water let’s be clear as possible about War Water also known as water of Mars or Mars Water.

War Water, is not native to hoodoo practices, it is likely a European influence, as its name and purpose comes from the Roman god of war, Mars.  In spite of the fact that is it not historically traditional to hoodoo, War Water has gained an important position and is firmly in place in conjure and folk magic and should be talked about.

War Water, is an offensive tool meant to bring peace back into one’s life by causing discord in another's usually the person who is making life difficult for you.  Essentially, War Water's primary purpose is hostile foot track magic.

War water is used:

To gain protection. This is an extremely aggressive, forceful spiritual cleanser.

To reverse a curse and send it back to where it came from.

To place a curse. War water is a traditional and allegedly potent weapon during psychic warfare and witch wars.

War water can be used for:

Warding

 In Floor washes

To splash on a door step or other target

It can also be added to or used in spell work for protection, cleansing, reversal spells, hex work, and more (great for spell bottles and jars), there are a lot of them out there.

 Once you have made War Water, how do you use it?

There are several methods, depending on just what your final intent might be. If you intend to use the most basic rust-water formula for protective purposes, you can use it as an addition to a spiritual bath just a capful,  a wash for the outside of your home or business put some in the mop bucket, sprinkle for any letters or papers you might be sending out to someone hostile to you (such as legal papers, I’ve known a few women who used it in their divorce proceedings)

The most common use of War Water, is as a component of psychic warfare, such as cursing or sending back a curse,  Draja Mickaharic makes a good case for having sturdy defenses in place before beginning any ritual of cursing or hexing anyone one.  He says “If you are going to declare psychic war on someone you should mop your stairs, porch, doorway, and any outside surfaces of your home on which anything can be cast or thrown before you begin the war. This ensures that you will be protected when the other person’s inevitable counterattack comes. In most cases War Water will cause any spell which is placed on your doorstep to rebound instantly to the sender.”

If you’re going to use it for your own personal protection as a spiritual bath you only need it in its rusty iron and water from, and just put in a cap full in your bath water again bathe as if you were doing an uncrossing ritual using two glass enclosed candles to create the psychic portal before you enter your bath tub or shower.  So unless you need a more aggressive formula that usual works very well.

But I’ve seen a lot of emotional drama especially among young people, so there is a more aggressive formula as well.

So I’m going to give to you the mild version, the slightly more aggressive version and the very aggressive version and several ways of deploying it.

The mild version is to get some cut iron nails  and put it in spring water in a good size jar, put it in the refrigerator, open the jar every day so it will get air and the nails will oxidize, the nails can be plain old nails, not thing special except for your intention.  Once it starts to get nice and rusty (allow at least 2 weeks for the rust to form) and turn the water red, pray over it for protection Psalm 23 is always good.  For your protection bath just put a capful into your bath water, that’s all you need to do.

Now if you want to be more aggressive if you can use Storm water or water from a violent rain storm (thunder storms are best) if you haven’t had a violent rain storm or don’t see one in the immediate future (check my posts on spiritual waters) then use bog or swamp water, even stagnate water the smellier the better.

Add to it cut iron nails and Spanish moss and some thorns if possible,

Again allow to marinate for at least 2 weeks, occasionally opening the jar to increase oxidation.

For Very aggressive War water again try and get water from a violent rain storm if possible, or bog or swamp water

Add to it red pepper (the hotter the better)

Sulfur or gunpowder (Sulfur can be purchased at a metaphysical shop)

You own urine (hey remember the old saying “P*&% on you”)

Spanish Moss

Cut iron nails (if you have a really big jar an old rail road spike works very well but it can break a glass jar)

Also Nails from a building where you want this person to go such as a court house to lose a case, hospital to be ill, jail to never get out, or if you can’t get nails from that then coffin nails

Some folks will add goofer dust or graveyard dirt to this mixture and in some cases Black Salt and/or a Dirt Dabner nest (it’s a type of wasp’s nest)

All of these formulas are just a few that I know of but it also depends on what the practitioner knows that works for him or her.  

Now there are several methods of deployment of War Water, the best known is to put it into a small bottle and then throw it at the other persons house so the bottle will break and the person on the receiving end has to deal with broken glass and it gets on them as well as their property.

My Granny and her Ladies heard about some sort of psychic war fare between practitioners, which included drive-by war water glass bombs,  as far as Granny and her ladies were concerned it was childish and foolish and remained above the fray, and not take sides,  besides Granny and her ladies dealt with the Depression of the 1930’s and were a frugal lot, why break a bottle when you could get 3 or 5 cents return for it. They knew of an easier way Thanks to Mrs. Byrd.

What one practitioner did and even a couple of Granny’s ladies did is have some war water in an old soda bottle and then when they visited they’d pour it out on the ground as if the soda had gone very flat, and then leave the bottle for them to get the 5 cents refund,  I myself did it with someone who was pissing me off,  and I had an empty cola soda can and it was late at night so I poured it out on the ground near her steps and left the can there, and that worked very well.

But Mrs. Byrd was very angry at a couple who called her some very insulting names, and they had no reason to do that, so what she did is she took an egg and made a tiny hole on both ends and blew the yoke and the egg white out (she used the yoke for cooking that day), putting a bit of shell and glue to one end and a bit of tape she filled the egg shell with war water using a thin nosed eye dropper (a pipette works very well for this), and she taped the other end.  

In the middle of the night like 2 a.m. she went to their house and threw the egg against their porch, and that worked very well too, in a week they were evicted unexpectedly and left the area.   And egg shells are so innocuous, but carry them very carefully in a zip lock bag, Mrs. Byrd carried hers in a small brown paper bag.  

Now you only pour out the water from your master bottle, be sure to filter it into a smaller bottle or what container you’re going to use.   What filters out put back into the master bottle and add more water.

Other uses of War Water

    To banish evil and  remove negativity from your place – Sprinkle around your house

    To protect you, your loved one and your property from future psychic and magical attacks

    As additional aid in unbinding spells- Use it in your ritual to remove malevolent magic that has targeted you and your loved ones

    To remove obstacles- When you feel that your road is blocked by unseen powers

    For jinx removing- Add some drops in your bath along with a pinch of Black Salt (if you feel the jinx is very bad)  and bathe

ONE LAST WORD ABOUT TAR WATER

Warning: tar water is acidic and can burn the skin and eyes. Pine tar itself is flammable as well as acidic. Handle with care. If on skin or eyes, rinse well with water for 15 minutes (longer if necessary) Go to the Emergency Room of the hospital for further medical assistance.  Remember it contains pine creosote (a known carcinogen). Do not ingest. Keep out of reach of children and pets.   Do not keep any sizable amount of the raw tar in your home or garage because it is flammable. Keep it outside in its bucket or a safe container

And there you have it about Tar Water and War Water, I myself have not had to use either personally except for one time (but I do have those rocks with the tar slurry for just in case) and I hope you dear readers never have need of it.

But the information is here for your understanding.

How does one counter act War Water?  

You use Peace Water, and also try to make amends with anyone who has a grudge against you, if nothing else to at least make them look foolish and small by you being the understanding person who does not wish ill will.

Peace Water Formula

It is used as the antidote to the previous two waters by combining equal amounts of

Holy water

Spring water

Rain water

River water

Ocean water

This is poured on places where peace and harmony is needed, or where tar/war water has previously been spilled.

Bright Blessings,

Ms. Q

 

A little Update on Ms. Q~~~

Hello Everyone,

This is Ms. Q's niece.

I just posted Ms. Q's latest information on candle work at her request, but she's been a bit of a naughty lady and is not resting as she should.

So Ms. Q is going to have an enforced rest for at least a week if not longer. 

Her mind is whirling with more ideas for topics to write about here in her blog, thanks to your questions you have given her a lot of ideas and have jogged her memory about the family and friends and their workings,  and that is fine, but I want her to rest for a while.

I know that for some of you she has, as a courtesy done "one card" readings, but she needs her rest. 

If you post a question I'm not sure when she can get to it as her health is very important.

So please be patient.   Eventually she will respond.

And in Ms. Q's words "Bright Blessings to Everyone"

The Art of "Candle Talk" Part 4--Properly disposing your magical workings~~~~~

Dear Ms. Q,

“I did my spell/candle stuff/ritual, now how do I clean it up, how do I get rid of it, and where do I get rid of it.”

If one reads an old time spell or candle working it will usually include how to dispose of the remnants of your workings, but a lot of new spells that you see popping up here and there, do not include that, and that is a serious mistake.

Even Raymond Buckland’s classic book on candle burning and rituals Does NOT include how to dispose of the remains of your workings----Opps!!!   (By the way I do recommend purchasing this book it is excellent in its rituals  “Practical Candleburning Rituals” by Raymond Buckland printed by Llewellyn Publications---they have a web site you can order it directly from them. You should have it on your personal magic shelf and once you determine the kind of spell you can make notes in your book of the workings disposal.

When you are doing a spell or candle working or ritual you are pulling up the energy from the earth and all around you to focus, become one single “ball” of energy to do your work and this sends it up into the Heavens or into the air to do your working, but what many people forget is just as lightning grounds itself so to must a spell.

If you see in slow motion how a lightning bolt works you’ll see some energy reaching up to the sky, and then the bolt comes down to meet it, this is positive and negative electrons meeting and then grounding itself.   So too much we do it with a spell, we pull up the energy and send it up and the results are then sent down to us, but is it really “grounded” to complete the work?   No it is not.

Proper disposal of the remains of your working therefor is important.   If you do a spell or candle work and the spell does not say how to dispose of the remains then you have to look at the spell and your intent to get an idea and of course you need to take a look at your living circumstances, many people are living in apartments now a days, owning one’s own home is slowly becoming impossible, unless you can get several like-minded folks to go in a rent a home together. 

You also have to get familiar with what is being offered in the city or town that you’re living in to do your workings,  for example I live in a town where there is NO cemetery, so I have to drive out of town to get to one and it is not exactly close by either, but I have lots of abandon railroad tracks (you’ll see in a minute), burying on a business property can be hard if there is no dirt to dig, so you have to be creative, see if they have any potted plants to decorate the front of their business etc.

Another thing is if you are using (and many people do) glass enclosed candles, some of these recommendations are not practical as it can clog up the earth, well recycling is always the best way and I’ll explain that further down.

So you have to think what do you want to do to properly complete your ritual and make it successful.

I’m going to list here the types of disposals and locations, when to use that type of disposal and I’ll give examples of the types of spells and what type of disposal that would be appropriate.

Some are obvious, some are devious, and some may have you scratching your heads.  You have to remember spell work or candle magic is natural and is of nature, so releasing the work back to nature completes the loop to make it happen, remember this and you will see your workings increase.

These types of disposals work very well for free-standing candles such as taper or pillar but not well at all for Glass enclosed candles so I will include alternate means to dispose of the glass.

Since the candle, and I’m speaking of either free-standing or figure candles,  itself is a tangible extension of your prayer, you do not want to treat it as garbage when it has finished burning. You may choose to bury the candle in your backyard, keep it as a memory of a prayer that was answered, or consciously recycle it by disposing it in a recycling location and imagining the energy you put into the candle being recycled into the universe.

Most importantly with glass enclosed candles, do not throw the glass into the garbage, as you would not want to throw away your prayer or attained result.  However there are some exceptions but either way, Show respect! 

Remember “It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.” — Ancient Chinese proverb

Be sure that your method of disposal does not go against your desired outcome so follow the methods that I have outlined here:  Remember these work best with free-standing and figure candles.

BURYING IN YOUR BACK YARD----Good for Marriage Spells, Prosperity spells, Protection Spell, Family Harmony Spells----

Reason:  This is to maintain a desired circumstance or situation, finances, keeping a person or a possession in your life.

BURYING IN YOUR FRONT YARD---To attract a NEW love spell, New career or life path spell, Attract a new experience such as travel or adventure, For Health, Marriage proposal spell---

Reason:  To welcome or bring something new into your life.

BURYING IN THE CEMETERY----this is for Curses and Banishment spells---

Reason:  To curse, harm or kill a person or to end undesirable circumstances or habits in your life.

Warning:  ALWAYS be respectful in a Cemetery, be sure to leave a few coins and/or pieces of candy at the cemetery gate when you leave.  Be sure to take a different route home and DO NOT look back or over your shoulder as you leave.

BURYING IN A TARGETS YARD OR PROPERTY----This is to either Curse the target (person), Love spells, Protections Spells, Influence/manipulation spells

Reason:  To curse, bless or to influence a specific person or family.

Warning:  If cursing, take a different route home, do not look back or look over your shoulder.

LEAVING AT A TARGETS FRONT DOOR OR DRIVEWAY---the same as above.

Reason:  One needs to be bold to do this as this is the most direct way to curse or to influence.

Best way to do this:  the remains must be inconspicuous and discreet such as ashes mixed with a bit of dirt.

Warning:  If for cursing take a different route home, do not look back or look over your shoulder.

BURYING AT A BUSINESS PROPERTY----This is for influence or manipulation spells, Prosperity spells, Protection spells, or Cursing the business or employee of the business

Reason: For prosperity (if you are the owner), to curse, bless or influence a specific business or employee of the business

Warning:  If for cursing take a different route home and do not look back or look over your shoulder

RELEASING INTO A STREAM/RIVER/NATURAL LAKE/OCEAN---- This is both positive and negative use for Love spells, Influence and manipulation spells, Spells to help release emotional pain, banishment spells and also for Curses.

Reason: To release negative circumstances or emotions, to deliver a curse or influence a person in distance or unknown location.

Warning:  If you’re doing it for cursing take a different route home do not look back or look over your shoulder.

RELEASING INTO A MAN-MADE LAKE/RESERVOIRS--- Do NOT do it---Man-made lakes and reservoirs usually do not have natural streams or rivers that carry water in and especially out, the energy tends to be fairly stagnant.

If you live near one of these refer to Burying in the Back yard list of circumstances and uses otherwise do not do and refrain from using it.

RELEASING INTO PONDS OR SWAMPS---- For Curses---there is an exception, if you live on or near the pond or swamp or even salt marsh in question do not use, refer to Burying in Backyard list of circumstances and uses.

Reason: Ponds,  Swamps and even Salt Marshes have stagnant energy, if you do not live near one you may use these natural bodies of water for cursing, but if it is close to you do not use, 

Warning: if the Pond, Swamp or Salt Marsh is part of a nature reserve to protect wild life DO NOT USE, seek other means of completing your curse.

LEAVING ON AN ACTIVE RAILROAD TRACKS--- for Love spells, Influence/manipulation spells, spells to release emotional pain, Banishment spells, Curses.

Reason:  To release negative circumstances. To deliver a curse or influence a person who lives in the direction of the running train(s)   Be sure to put it the well enough in advance of the trains approach, you can leave it on the wooden or cement ties and don’t be fussy, get well away from the tracks or you could be killed---Trains do not stop on a dime.

Warning: If cursing take a different route home, do not look back or look over your shoulder.  Avoid the train and railroad tracks for at least 3 days.

LEAVING ON ABANDONED RAILROAD TRACKS---- For Banishment spells and break-up spells

Reason:  To separate yourself or other people from each other or a situation, if you want the separation to be complete do not look back or over your shoulder it will negate the spell because it means you’re not reading to separate.

With the next two forms of disposal use caution when doing this especially at night, you could get hit by a car and seriously hurt.

LEAVING AT A ROAD INTERSECTION (depending upon the spell either a 4 way crossroads or 3 way crossroads) --- For Curses, Banishment Spells, Release personal emotional pain, Love spells, Influence and manipulative spells.

Reason: To deliver a curse or influence a person living in or at an unknown location.

Warning: again if cursing take a different route home, again do not look back or look over your shoulder.

LEAVING ON A ROAD IN THE LANE OF THE DIRECTION OF YOUR TARGET--- For curses, Influence or manipulations spells, love spells on a specific person.

Reason: To deliver a curse or influence a person living in the direction of the traffic lane.

Warning: again if cursing take a different route home, again do not look back or look over your shoulder.

BLOWING OR THROWING THE ASHES TO THE WINDS---(this is only if you have ashes from paper, no or without any wax)----Blow in the direction of the target to curse or influence them, love spells, prosperity spells, protection spells, healing spells.

Reason:  This is a general all-purpose release of spell work energy into the Universe.

THROWING INTO A FIRE—For Curses, Banishment spells, Spells to release emotional pain

Reason: To release negative circumstances, to deliver a curse or influence a person in an unknown location.

Warning:  If cursing it is recommended the fire is not on your property or grounds, But be very careful, please practice fire safety, remember only you can prevent wild fires and forest fires.

NOTE:  Banishment spells refer to spell work where the desired result is to remove and/or end either undesirable conditions, circumstance, people or habits.  When using glass enclosed candles for all banishment work which would include curses if you are unable to bury them in a grave yard dispose of it in an area where there is no life or very little life exists, an abandoned property is useful.  Do not put glass into areas where there is life that is harmful to the environment. 

Another method of disposing of glass enclosed candles is healthy recycling where the glass will be melted down the fires of the furnace will release the spell into the Universe and purify the glass slag for future use without contamination of the spell.  

When I use glass enclosed candles I separate the left over workings, any paper or other residue I dispose of by any one of the standard means as listed for free standing candles.  The glass is either recycled for positive spells or for negative spells left on abandoned property or in some cases put in the trash cans at cemeteries. 

If you need to have the left overs buried on your property but you live in an apartment this is where having a large planter helps, to have it in the front area next to your door, if need to bury in an area that would be the back  area of your apartment put a plant in the farthest back area of your apartment, but not near your kitchen.   This works for wax and remains of free-standing and figure candles, for glass enclosed candles, use them to plant small plants in to bring something to you, and to banish then recycle it.

Please understand that some rituals require you to dispose of your "ritual left-overs" in specific ways - burying them near your front door if it's a rite meant to bring something to you, at a crossroads or into running water to disperse something or hidden away to keep the magic going, those spells will be specific.

 Other spells or tricks don't necessarily have a specific disposal method mentioned. 

For these kinds of things, I remember both my Granny and Mrs. Washington and Mrs. Rose would make their own "graveyard" , now this was either a lidded basket or a lidded box which was  lined with white cloth into which the left over remains that didn’t have anything specific would be put into.  

 Then just before St. John’s Day (June 24^th), they’d tie up the ends of the cloth, making a bundle of this stuff and then burn them in a big bonfire in an old bath tub in one of the ladies back yards ---back then folks could burn their trash or plant cuttings,  not anymore.  

To make this temporary graveyard you'll need:

A container of some kind, with a lid. Keep it near where you do your workings

Get a White cloth, big enough to line the container and have the four corners of it stick out of the container when the lid is on it that way you don’t have to fuss find the 4 corners of the cloth.

Next you need to get graveyard dirt, now this is not taken for a grave plot but from the cemetery itself, when you go to the cemetery or graveyard knock on the gate or gate post that’s at it’s entrance, ask the Angel of Death and those spirits that protect the cemetery if you can take some of the cemetery dirt, ask them to bless the dirt so that it will keep the remains of the workings in the container, the same way as a cemetery protects the bodies of the people safe, collect the graveyard dirt in the normal way, leave 9 coins (pennies will do) and some candy.

Then sprinkle some of the dirt on the cloth that lines your container just enough to cover the bottom, then close the lid.  Now its ready to accept the left overs of that spell workings that you don’t know how to dispose of.

Be careful with liquids, put them into a separate container and into the graveyard box, when it’s full or even if it’s not full tie up the bundle by the 4 corners of the cloth securely and burn it all on St. John’s day—June 24^th.  

And again practice fire safety when you do this.

But if you carefully think and meditate on how to dispose of your remains you won’t have to do this graveyard container but I provide it to you for your information.

ONE LAST NOTE:

Once you have completed your candle work the area where you burned your candles also needs to be cleaned both physically and spiritually.  Some folks will use a white disposable cloth and Chinese wash to wash off the surface where the working was done, but Granny and her ladies would put a bit of Pine-Sol and some lemon juice into a small bucket of water, and use an old white wash cloth, I myself use lemon scented Pine-Sol and I always buy white wash cloths and towels, when they wear out for bathroom use they come in handy for other uses.  

Once you do that then your area is ready for the next candle working, it has been cleared and will not be "contaminated" by any left over energies from the previous spell workings.  

 

And that completes my series on THE ART OF CANDLE TALK.  

As you go about doing your workings, you may come across other methods of reading the candle and candle disposal, doing the workings is like cooking or baking, there is a science and method in how it’s done, but what works for a cake will not work for a pie, how one roasts a Pot Roast may not work on a Leg of Lamb,  the general principals are the same but the methodology is different.

In time you’ll find what works best for you,  I know what I’ve presented has worked for me, my Grandmother and her ladies of her group.  But times have changed, things have changed, and people have to be more careful. 

Please keep that in mind.

Bright Blessings,

Ms. Q

The Art of "Candle Talk" --Part 3-- Reading the Wax~~~

Dear Ms. Q,

"O.K. I understand how candles can talk, but what about the wax, does it have anything to say?"

"I got strange shapes in my wax, what does that mean?"

“I burned a free-standing candle and I got these strange images in the wax what does it mean?”

“I burned a male and a female candle and the female candle melted real fast over the male candle what does that mean?”

Wax puddles, and drippings come in all kinds of shapes and do strange things; most practitioners treat them like tea-leaves when they "read" them.   This is the 3^rd part of Candle workings that practitioners need to understand when doing candle spells or rituals.  This also gives an idea how the spell is or has worked and is in essence a form of divination.  This works very well for free-standing candles but it’s much harder to decipher in glass-enclosed candles

What I’m going to explain here first is for free-standing candles. 

One thing you have to remember is that you should not buy candles that are marketed as drip-less because they will not leave any “signs” for you to read, if you are going to do candle divination buy a candle made of natural wax or beeswax, the beeswax ones maybe a bit more expensive but they tend to reveal the most spiritual information.  

Figure candles and pillar candles that you buy from a metaphysical store will melt and give you signs as well and can be used for candle divination.    

So let’s start with signs and symbols of free-standing pillar candles.  

Obviously if a free-standing candle leaves little or no wax residue, that is the best sign and your spell will be completed.

But most of the time a free-standing candle burns down to a puddle of wax, forming transient or in some cases persistent images. The shape may suggest an outcome regarding present or future matters, but it depends upon interpretation.

Transient images (those images that appear and then melt away) are those that show up while the candle is burning but disappear by the time the candle flame has gone out. Persistent images are those which are left in the form of solid wax after the flame has burned out.

While the wax melts and forms images, during the burning process a practioner will note what they see and the date and time they see it, it could be something of importance, for the shape may suggest a passage of something a person is going through, when the wax is finally melted and there is an image it will tell the outcome regarding the matter at hand.

One transient image that often forms while a candle burns, but may disappear by the time it is finished, is a run of wax droplets down the side of the candle. These are called "tears" or a “cascade of tears” they indicate that someone will cry before the spell succeeds. If the wax drips a lot, and forms hanging “waterfalls” or “frozen drops”, cascade flows, it’s usually means a sign that the success will come, but with a lot of effort and possibly tears preceding it, and more so if these remain after the candle has burnt down.  These are often seen as something that is in transit, because they rarely remain after the candle has burnt all the way down.  

If the tears melt away and are gone by the time the candle is finished, the sorrow will pass in due time.

If the tears persist after the candle is finished and either hang down like icicles or form unburned wax tears, the sorrow will be affecting a person for some time.

Once the candle is finished burning , the wax puddle that remains can be examined and its meaning related to the spell.

For example, if you are burning a red Eve image candle or a pink Adam image candle for a love spell and a heart-shaped wax puddle forms that is a good sign.

Conversely if you are burning a black devil candle against an enemy and a coffin-shaped wax puddle forms that too is a good sign.

But obviously if it is reversed then you have a serious problem.

This is a list of the number of common shapes you would see in a puddle of melted wax:

AIRPLANE - A trip of a disappointment

ANCHOR - Your loved one is true

BABY - Troubles are coming

BALL or BALLOON - Your problem will not last very long

BEANS - Money difficulties

BED - A vacation would be good for you

BELLS - A wedding

BIRD - News will reach you soon

BRIDGE - Take a chance

BROOM - Make a change

CANDLE - Spiritual growth

CAT - A friend is untrue

CHAIN - Go ahead with your plans

CIRCLE - Reconciliation

CLOUD - Something or someone threatens you

CROSS - Do not fear for you are protected

CROWN - Sickness

CUP - Bitter quarrel with a friend

DOG - Your self-esteem is too low

EAR - Be alert for an opportunity to advance in your work

EGG - New developments soon

FAN - A surprise is in store for you

FEATHER - The problem will be solved

FISH - Someone will betray you

GHOST - Someone from the past is looking for you

GRASS - Good fortune is approaching

HAT - A change of location is indicated

HEART - A friendship will turn into love

HOUSE - Better times are coming

KEY - A setback in plans should be expected

KITE - Your wish will come to naught

LADDER - Take steps to change your attitude toward an old friend

LEAF or LEAVES - Things will be changing soon

LION - An unpleasant situation is developing

MOON - Indicates more money

MOUNTAIN - Good friends are willing to help you

PANTS - You will be tempted

PEN - Expect a letter from a relative

PIN - Your lover may be attracted to another

PIPE - Peace and comfort

RING - Marriage may be possible in the near future

SCISSORS - Separation

SHOE - Be suspicious of a new acquaintance

SNAKE - Be on guard against an enemy

SPIDER WEB - Pleasant happenings

STAR - Happiness

SUN - Good fortune

TABLE - An abundance of blessings

TREE - A good time for new undertakings

UMBRELLA - Trouble is coming

WALKING STICK - Get out of the house and visit friends

WHEEL - One who has been away will return soon

WITCH - Danger will pass you by

WORM - Business troubles ahead if you are not careful 

(This list is by no means definitive and a good book on the symbols of tea leaves reading is very helpful, in time your own intuition will tell you what you’re seeing)

Sometimes letters or what appears to be words will form as well.

Other signs are long serpent-like strings indicating evil intent being neutralized and probably the need to repeat spell may be required.

Heart shaped wax puddles are positive when working love spells.

Even if you’re not working a love spell the appearance of a heart is a good sign if you’re looking for love.

Wax flowing in the direction the house of the person you want to effect is a good sign.

Round coin shapes are good if you’re looking for wealth.

A new moon shape indicates new beginnings.

The shape of an eye could be a warning about the “evil eye” or “glance of malice” influence or that someone is watching you.   

A Coffin shaped puddle indicates success when burning a candle against a nemesis.

Flat wavy papery remains usually with two claw-like projections are read as scorpions which means malicious gossip and back biting that is being neutralized. You’ll need to repeat the spell until the wax burns clean.

Twisted pillars of wax, bizarre shapes or monsters are read as turbulence and further healing is required.

Wax remains in the shape of sex organs usually means some sort of infidelity or a venereal disease (in the case of the latter go to a doctor to be sure)

This one has recently appeared especially among Hispanic folk, if a hooded figure appears it means that “Santa Muerte” Holy Death has been invoked and requires a further ritual to neutralize this.   If one is not Hispanic it still means that a negative spell has been cast and a protective ritual or strengthening your protections are needed.

It’s not unusual for the images of an animal to appear in the wax--- on the positive side, it could be an animal spirit or totem that is close to you and imparting a message to you.   There are books out there that talk about the messages of animal totems.  

But if you practice Santería or Palo Mayombe  and shapes of animals, cats, goats, domestic animals and fowls  appear it could mean that an animal sacrifice took place to strengthen a spell against you. A further ritual might be called for to neutralize the spell. Many folks will either make or buy tallow candles for uncrossing and unhexing spells to do this.   But for those who practice Santeria etc. go to a reputable Babalowel (High Priest) to do a divination to see if this is correct.

A free-standing candle that lets out a lot of smoke but burns clean at the end means hidden trouble or someone working against your wishes. Things will not go well at first, but with repeated work you will overcome.

The way a candle unfolds as it melts can be very significant.  If it unfolds like a flower that is a sign that your wish will be granted. It represents possibilities and paths opening for you.

A candle that is too lopsided in one direction or another, usually means that you are dealing with a situation that is way out of balance.

If the flame is buried by the wax that is often a sign that the wish will not be granted.

If it’s a spell to influence two people, who are, or should be romantically involved, and you’re using figural candles for the spell if the wax melts, and connects them firmly at their base this is a good omen, especially if it’s was some kind of reunion, or marriage, or other kind or love or friendship spell.

But If it’s a separation spell, this would indicate that the two people will fight and but they will overcome the spell, and remain together. 

If one is doing some kind of marriage spell, or fidelity spell with the bride and groom figural candle,  and one party ( bride or groom ) drips intensively over another,  it means that person (male or female) is more  eager on getting married and is trying to “cling” onto  the other party.

It can also mean that in a relationship that person will dominate the other and it would not be a good partnership.

This is the basic meaning of free-standing candles,  if you use herbs or glitter to fix the free standing candle and it forms shapes in the wax read them as you would tea leaves.

You have to remember in reading the wax listen to  your intuition the symbol meaning  list only give an indication but by using your intuition you can see more to what the wax signs are saying, you also have to remember the symbolism will vary depending upon the candle used and the purpose of the ritual or spell.

If you are using pins in a candle how the drop or don’t drop but instead cling can also means something.

A pin or needle on a marked free-standing candle drops -- but it clings and won't fall

Either the person for whom the candle is being burned or yourself if you’re burning the candle for you,  is clinging to past conditions or someone or something from the  past is unwilling to let the person go.

The term "past conditions" can even mean events or memories from the person past.

The term "someone or something" means that it may be a living person, or a hostile spirit sent against the client, or a spirit of the dead, or the spirit of a drug or illness.

If the person is the one who is clinging, you will probably know it by knowing the person's case.

If someone or something is clinging to the person, it is likely to be the same someone or something that is the cause of or is a part of whatever is the person’s problem or situation that you are working to remedy.

If, based on your knowledge of the situation, you don't know which situation applies (i.e. whether the person is clinging to him/her/it or he/she/it is clinging to the person), you need to do a simple divination on which situation is the operative one at this time.

Once you know which it is, then you can address the issue through spiritual and magical remediation:

If the person or yourself is the one clinging to the past, then cleanse the person (or yourself) by administering a Black Walnut bath to break ties with the past.

If someone or something is clinging to the person, then give the person a cleansing Van Van bath followed by a Cut and Clear rite (or, in a pinch, simply add Cut and Clear Dressing Oil to the  candle) to break that clinginess off.

If what is clinging to the person is very strong -- for instance, if it is the spirit of a drug or a bad companion who hangs around -- you may also have to do some Cast Off Evil and/or Hot Foot work.

Either way if a pin clings to the candle you have something that needs to be cleared up and broken off.

Reading the wax in Glass enclosed or Novena candles---

I’ve given interpretations on how the flame, smoke and/or soot will be read in a glass enclosed candle but there is also the wax.

If a glass encased vigil or novena candle burns and leaves no marks on the glass that is best results.

BUT A vigil candle burns down but leaves up to 1/2" of unburned wax at the bottom,  Unburned wax at the bottom of a glass-encased vigil candle is a classic sign of "unfinished business."

What that means will depend upon the nature of the condition for which the spiritual work was being done:   Here are some examples.

If the candle was being burned to rid someone of sickness, then the sign means that some sickness remains; it has not been completely cured. (Remember this is in addition to getting the person well, not as a substitute, always, ALWAYS seek proper medical help from a Doctor or Emergency clinic.)

 If the candle was being burned to draw in new love or return an old love, then this sign means that the person will not come completely, just part-way, due to issues not caused by the person or yourself, but rather due to "unfinished business" on the part of the person’s loved one.

 If the candle was being burned to harm someone, it may hurt them, but not severely; if it was intended to cause death, it may damage them but it is not going to kill.

  If the candle was being burned to keep the law away, they may stay away for one reason, but some other, older, "unfinished business" may draw them back.

 If the candle was being burned to draw money, then the sign means that the money may come part-way, not completely, and that there may be "unfinished business" to be handled before the petition is granted.

Herbs or glitter clinging to the sides of the glass enclosed candle, these maybe read like tea leaves and also note at what position did these items cling to the glass, at the top, near the top, the middle, past the middle, down at the end,  that will give you a time line when the symbol that indicates when it took place.

As always, remember reading the wax, the drippings, etc. is always a matter of intuition upon your part, as you get familiar with it then it will become second nature to you and give you a better idea how your spell craft is working. 

Catherine Yronwode has said “….a well-experienced home practitioner, or a professional root worker -- is looking for is a single divinatory narrative that combines the "statements" of the three "witnesses" to the burning: the flame, the wax, and the smoke.

In addition, sometimes there will be other "witnesses" -- the glass may crack, the label may scorch.

Again, the experienced candle setter consults ALL of these "witnesses" to the work.

It is all too problematic to light a candle and start worrying over it as it burns. Resist that temptation.”

And I agree with that statement, allow the candle to burn to do it’s “thing”, take notes as it burns, but don’t interfere with it, then when it has completed its burning, read the signs that are left and put it together with your notes and you will be able to tell how well the spell or ritual has gone, but don’t worry about it.   Doing that will send up negative energies and you don’t want that to sabotage your workings

On my Final post on the “ART OF CANDLE TALK” I will be dealing with the disposal of your spell workings.    I’m also going to be “tweaking” here and there these 4 posts as I come across more information in my notes, but this will give you all a start to understand candle spell/ritual work.

Blessings to you,

Ms. Q